Machine for treating hides by application of pressure from diverse directions



A. R. ABBOTT MACHINE FOR TREATING HIDES BY APPLICATION OF PRESSURE FROMDIVERSE DIRECTIONS 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 6 nven 602:

Dec. 23, 1952 A. R. ABBOTT 2,622,428

MACHINE FOR TREATING HIDES BY APPLICATION OF PRESSURE FROM DIVERSEDIRECTIONS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 6, 1949 aria Dec. 23, 1952 A. R.ABBOTT 2, 22,428 MACHINE FOR TREATI' HIDES By OF PRESSU Filed April 6,1949 LI ION RE FRO IVER-SE DI CTI 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 23,1952 MACHINE FOR TREATING HIDES BY APPLI- CATION OF PRESSURE FROMDIVERSE DIRECTIONS Arthur R. Abbott, Beverly, Mass, assignor to UnitedShoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jerseyv Application April 6, 1949, Serial No. 85,924

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for treating hides, and moreparticularly to machines involving the successive application oflocalized pressure from diverse directions on small areas of the surfaceof a given hide to remove hair, send or flesh. It is to be understoodthat the invention is not limited to use of any particular machineand/or apparatus.

When the term hides is used alone herein it is the intention to refer toeither hides or skins. The use of that term avoids excess verbiage.

In customary beamhouse operations, the raw stock is washed, soaked,rough fleshed, limed, unhaired and fleshed again. Other operations arealso carried out to prepare the stock for subsequent tanning. The limingoperation may take one of many forms and may be substituted by aputrefaction step but its purpose is to loosen the hair from the hairfollicles after which the hair may be removed by machine or by hand.After unhairing it is customary to perform a scudding operation as thehair follicles tenaciously retain the send which comprises remnants ofepithelial tissues, hair pigment, glands and lime soaps. Scudding may bedone by machine but better Work is performed when it is done by hand.The hand operation, however, involves considerable labor and time and isunpleasant to perform. Heretofore, scudding by machine or by hand hasnecessitated the use of a wood or metal knife or blade for scraping thework.

The fleshing operation is conventionally carried out in conjunction withone or more soakings as contact with water restores the hide fibers totheir normal sizes and shapes and the fleshing may therefore beperformed for uniform results. Fleshing is usually done by a rotatingspirally bladed cylinder pressed against the flesh side of 2. hide, thelatter being backed by a rubber roll. The blades cut away the areolartissues that make up the flesh of the skin. The washing or soaking timeis considerable and much handling of each hide has heretofore beenrequired.

There have been attempts to use Water jets for removing hair from hides.Such attempts have heretofore not proven successful. A row of jetsimpinging upon a work piece will not do the work satisfactorily asstreaks of hair, etc. are left on the hide between the lines of fluidcontact. A water knife-i. e., Water issuing from a stationary slota1sowill not perform the operation as desired for it leaves many of the linehairs and other matter still adhering to the skin.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine fortreating hides whereby each work piece may be cleared of hair, scud,flesh, or other matter with a minimum of skill necessary on the part ofthe operator and the securing of uniformity of treatment and improvedquality of the work.

To these ends, and in accordance with important features of theinvention, a backing member is provided for a spread-out hide and adevice for successively applying pressure on small areas of the hide islocated adjacent to the backing member. This pressure applying devicemay conveniently be in the form of a spraying device for directing jetsof iiuid such as water or air against a work piece placed with its fleshside in contact With the backing member (for unhairing) and with itsgrain or hair side in contact with the backing member (for fleshing).The backing member and the pressure applying device are moved relativelyso that the areas of pressure application or impingement of fluid fromthe spouts or vents of that device approach or traverse any given spoton the hide from diverse directions and preferably from four directions.

These and other important aspects and features of the invention andnovel combinations of parts will now be described in detail and thenpointed out more particularly in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a View in end elevation of a machine embodying features of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1, butwith the motors and motor supports omitted;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view, drawn to an enlarged scale, of a portionof the pressure applying or spraying device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the work supporting member and showingits relation to the spraying device;

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged sectional view of a hide at an area ofpressure application or fluid contact; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic showing illustrating the principle of operationutilized in carrying out the invention.

The particular embodiment of the machine illustrated is designed to beattached to, and to stand upon, a platform H) constructed of I- beamsand channel bars. The machine includes two main standards l2 and I4bolted to the platform l0 and between which a wood beam is ishorizontally suspended for oscillation or tilting. Angle bars I8 and 20are arranged to the top of a standard I2 or I4.

on the platform I to serve as tracks or rails for a carriage 22 which isadapted to move from one end of the machine to the other below the beamI6 and between the two standards I2 and I4. The carriage 22 is providedwith a horizontal supporting surface 24 fora work piece 25 to betreated. The carriage is borne on conventional flanged wheels 26. Eachend of the carriage 22 is provided with work holding and stretchingclamps 3!! attached thereto or, preferably, hooked thereto. Such clampsare conventionally used to hold hides on drying frames. Two brackets 34(Fig. 2) are attached to the platform It and serve as journals for athreaded shaft 36 running the length of the machine. A motor 38 (Fig. 1)is also mounted on the platform I0 and is connected by means of acoupling 40 to one end of the shaft 36. A horizontal bracket 62 isbolted to the under side of the table or platform 22 and is threaded at44 for the reception of the threaded portion of the rod 36. Thehorizontal beam I6 is provided with twobrackets 50 (Fig. 1) bolted tothe opposite ends thereof and these brackets are each provided with anextension 52 which serves as a trunnion within a two-part journal 54attached A. journal block 55 (Fig. 1) is bolted to the top of thestandard I2 with its bearing coaxial with the trunnion extensions 52. Ajournal block 58 (Fig. l) is bolted to the top of the beam It and ashaft 69 is supported in the two journal blocks 56 and 56 and passesthrough one of the extension trunnions 52. A motor 62 (Fig. 1) ismounted on a support bracket 64 bolted to the front of the machinethatis-to the standard I2. The shaft of the motor 52 is connected to theshaft 60 by means of a coupling 66. Bevel gears 13 and I2 are pinned tothe shaft 59 at the points indicated in Fig. 1 and are respectively inmesh with bevel gears 14 and I6. The latter gears are pinned at'IB and80 respectively to vertical shafts passing down through the beam I6.Only one of these shafts 82 is shown but they'are similar and rotate insuitable and conventional bearings 84 (one shown-Fig. 1) which retainthem in position against thrusts exerted in both vertical and horizontaldirections. The lower end of each of these two vertical shafts (such asshaft 82) is rigidly locked to a member 90 having a downwardly directedand eccentric shaft or crank 92.

The eccentric shaft 92 nearest to the front of the machine is journaledin 'a one-piece block 94 utilizing a bearing which permits the shaft 92to support the block94 against the force of gravity. The specific formof bearing is not 1 lustrated as it'forms no part of the invention.

'The other shaft or crank 92 is similarly journaled parallel rowsextending across, over and substantially parallel withthe surface 24.

inner rows of spouts are offset or staggered with The two relation tothe outer rows. The end of the spraying device IIJE, nearest the frontof the machine is threaded at I95 for firm attachment with the block'94. The other or rear end of the spraying device I 0!) is connected bymeans (ill of a conduit I08 to a solenoid operated valve H0 and leads toa source of fluid pressure not shown. The solenoid H2 and its valve H0is a commercial product.

A control switch box II with two push buttons is attached to the frontof the standard I2 and is used for controlling the circuits leading tothe motors 38 and 62 as well as to the solenoid II2. A single pushbutton control box [I6 is supportedon the left end of the platform If)as viewed'in Fig. 2. A two-push-button control box H8 is mounted on theright-hand end of the platform It as viewed in Fig. 2. A bracket I20(Fig. 2) is suspended from each end of the carriage '22 and each bracketsupports a springpressed plunger I22 which is in alinement with thesingle push button of box H6 and the lower push button of box II8.

The electrical circuits are not shown in the drawings as they do notform a part of the present invention and the provision of suitablecircuits is easily within the ability of any person skilled inelectrical wiring technique. The requirements "for the circuits may bevaried but one'mode of operation is set forth hereinafter.

The rear side of the standard I2, or right side as viewed in Fig. 1, isprovided with ears I30 (Fig. 2) between which is mounted and in which isjournaled a shaft I3I for a worm gear I32. The gear I32 is keyed tothe'shaft I3I and one end of the latter is keyed to a hand wheel I36. Agear segment I40 is bolted at I42 and I44 to one end of the beam I6 andthe teeth thereof are in mesh with the worm gear I32.

The removal of hair and scud in the past has been done better by handthan by machine as the hand operator visually observes the effectivenessof his knife strokes and modifies them accordingly. The hairfolliclesslope in many directions and this may be the reason why he has foundthat'va'rying the pressure and direction of his strokes improves thequality of the work done. Whether 'this reason be correct or not, itwould appear that if a machine were devised in the operation of whichevery follicle in a given hide were subjected to a squeezing actionprogressing from its root to its mouth, all follicles of that hide wouldbe cleared of scud and hair. It is apparent that a squeezing actionexerted from the mouth 'or'opening of each follicle and progressing toits root would be of non-effect-it would cause the hair and scud to betrapped within the follicle. The hand operation of scudding isnecessarily preceded by an unhairing operation and doesnot employ theprinciple of uniform treatmentor squeezing action over theentire'surface of a hide. Hand scudding must be carried on by a skilledoperator as he must visually observe the results of his knife action andvaryhis strokes to secure optimum results. The strokes are effective onnarrow areas of the hide and, at best, the

results of hand scudding are spotty and irregular because of the natureof the operation. Machines also, as heretofore constructed, do not takeadvantage of the fact that all follicles of a'given assuming that thejet or fluid is impinging against the hide and approaching the latter atan angle illustrated by the arrow A. It is also assumed that the spoutor vent for the jet or the area of impingement on the hide is movedlinearly and withrespect to the hide 25 in the direction of the arrowB-i. e.-the left-hand portion of the hide in Fig.5 has been treated andthe right-hand portion has not yet been subjected to treatment. Theforce of the fluid is such as momentarily to form a slight lip or ridgeC at the edge of the small depression or dimple caused by the jet. Itwill be easily understood that a follicle such as the follicle F iseasily divested of its hair and send for that follicle is first squeezedat its root as the area of jet impingement moves (arrow B) whereas afollicle such as follicles G, H and J tends to close and entrap thematerial within it. The specific angle of the jet or line of generalpressure application with respect to the work is of slight importancecompared with the direction of motion of the spout or its fluid impactarea on the work as shown by the arrow B. Because of the motion in thesingle direction of arrow B, follicles K and L close to trap theircontents while follicles M and N are made to open and disgorge theirs.Follicles with an inclination (greater than that of arrow A) such asthat of follicle F are completely divested of their contents when theyare approached or traversed by the area of fluid impingement as it movesin the direction of the arrow B. If each follicle is approached ortraversed from diverse directions (preferably from each of fourquadrants), all follicles will be cleared of their hair and send as eachfollicle is at some time subjected to a squeezing, action beginning atits root even though that follicle, at other times, constitutes a trapfor its contents.

In operating the machine for unhairing and scudding, a hide 25 is spreadout upon the surface 24 of the carriage 22 flesh side down and is heldin spread-out condition by means of the clamps 30. The switch in box H6is then operated to start the motor 62 with the result that the sprayingdevice I00 moves rapidly in a horizontal plane because of the action ofthe eccentric shafts 92. The top button in the switch box H8 is thendepressed with the result that the solenoid-actuated valve H0 is openedto permit fluid (water in this instance) under pressure to enter thespraying device I00 and be ejected downwardly. The depression of thepush button in box H8 is also caused to start the motor 38 and themoving of the carriage 22 from its position as shown in Fig. 2 towardthe left-hand end of the machine as shown in that figure. As thecarriage 22 proceeds to the left, the jets from the spouts I04 areinclined to the left as shown in full in Fig. 4. This causes the jets toimpinge against the work piece 25 and flow off the leading edge of thework piece. As the carriage proceeds the hand wheel I36 is turned totilt the beam I6, and the righthand edge or trailing end of the workpiece 25 is treated with the jets inclined downwardly and. toward theright, as indicated by the position of the spraying device shown in thedot-and-dash lines of Fig. 4. Varying the inclination of the jets withrespect to the work is not essential but it is preferred as it minimizesthe strong tendency for the fluid to sweep the work piece off thecarriage. When the carriage has reached the lefthand limit of its travelthe spring-pressed plunger I22 strikes the push button of the box H6 andthe electrical circuits are such that the motor 38 is reversed. Thecarriage 22 then returns to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the plungerI22 serves to actuate the lower push button in the box I I8 to stop themotor 38 and to close the valve I I0.

As set forth above, Fig. 5 illustrates what occurs when a given spot ona work piece or a follicle is approached or traversed from only onedirection by the pressure or fluid impact area. The illustrated machineis so constructed that such spot or follicle is approached and traversedfrom at least four directions. As already stated, when all follicles ofa work piece are so treated then that piece is uniformly cleared of allhair and scud.

Fig. 6 illustrates the principle of operation as applied forfour-directional approach or traverse of each follicle by the pressurearea. The spraying device I00 is provided with four rows of spouts orvents I04 extending over and across the carriage surface 24. The twoinner rows are staggered or offset with respect to the two outer rows.Two staggered rows instead of the four as shown may be used. The circlesI05 of Fig. 6 represent the paths of the individual vents I04 as theyrotate because of the action of the eccentric shafts or cranks B2. Thediameter of each of the circles I05 is preferably about .125" although adiameter of .5 has proven successful. Any point selected on the pressureapplying or spraying device I00 is rotated at 4000 R. P. M. but thisspeed may be varied to suit given conditions. One vent 10 1 is shown foreach circle I05. It will be understood that more than one may be usedfor each circular path and they may be arranged radially in each circleor circumferentially.

The diameter of each jet orifice or ven-t I04 is .02 (diameter of a #76twist drill) to give a 1%" diameter dimple in the Work placed 7 awayfrom the vent. A change in the vent size will, of course, modify theother conditions. A .02 diameter vent as referred to above will producea dimple with a diameter of about 1%. Proper unhairing action occurs atthe dimple area and also around that area but scudding occurs only atthe dimple area. From this it may be seen that the vents should be ofsuch diameters and they should be so revolved, if scudding action isdesired, that all portions of the area of a work piece being treatedshould come within a dimple area at least four times and fromdiv'erse'directions. The four directions are preferably at right anglesto each other but may be at other angles if desired. 1

' The speed or travel of the carriage 22 is such as to bear a definiterelationship to the motion of the spraying device I00 or spouts I04.Assuming that D represents the diameter of a circle (Fig. 6) and alsothe distance traveled in a given time by the carriage 22, then theminimum circumferential distance simultaneously traveled by each spoutI04 is TD With such relative motions of the spouts and carriage (orwork) a follicle B (Fig. 6), when moving along the path S at a speed ofD feet per minute will be contacted four times and from four directionsat the four points marked X. Another follicle will be contacted at thefour points marked X as it travels along the line marked T. If thedimple area is made large enough (by proper selection of vent size andjet length before impact) and the circles I05 are made suificientlysmall, all area of a given work piece is subjected to scudding as wellas unhair- 7 ing action. .The revolutions per minute of the spouts orvents H14 may be increased but obviously should-not-be reduced beyond agiven minimum for a given rate of feed.

'For fleshing, the same apparatus may be used and the method ofoperation i the same except that the hide is placed with its hairor'grain side against the backing member or supporting surface 24.Approach of each spot from diverse directions and preferably from fourdirections 'by' the areas of applied pressure or fluidimpingement'results in uniformity of treatment and a velvety surface forthe work piece. The usual preliminary "soaking operation (necessary forconventional fleshing) may be reduced in its extent and in some casesmay be eliminated entirely.

Water is preferred as the pressure applying medium and a pressure offrom 500 to 600 pounds per square inch within the conduit I08 has beenfound suitable. Other pressures may be used dependingupon the type ofwork to be done. At 'a pressure of 300 pounds per square inch, the:unhairing and scudding is well done but the quantity of water used isincreased considerably what I Letters 'ber,means for continuouslyvmoving the spouts in endless paths, and means for moving saidsupporting member in a plane transverse'to the 'line' of fluid ejectmentfrom each spout.

25A hide treating machine including amember with a supporting surface ina given plane for a spread-out work piece, a fluid spraying deviceadjacent to said member with spouts directed toward said member, meansfor'rotating the spouts of said spraying device in a plane substantiallyparallel with said member, and means for moving said member in saidgiven plane.

3. Ahide treating machine for removing hair andiscud from hides in whichthe hair is loose iin'the .hair folliclesincluding a member with asurface for backing up a spread-out work piece,

:means "for retaining a work piece in position withits flesh side incontact'with said surface,

:means for'movingsaidsurface in a given path, a

fluid spraying device mounted adjacent and substantially parallel tosaid surface with rows of spouts extending across said path and eachspout being directed toward said surface, and means for bodily rotatingsaid spouts, the said surface moving means and spout rotating meansbeing arranged to cooperate so that the areas of impingement of fluidfrom the spouts contact spots on said surface or work piece from diversdirections.

4. A hide treating machine as set forth in claim 3 including means forturning said spraying device and inclining the spouts with respect tothe workpiece.

5. A hide treating machine including a member with a supporting area fora spread-out work piece, adjacent rows of fluid discharge spoutsarranged with each spout being permanently directed toward andterminating close to said area, means for continuously moving the spoutsin endless paths, and means for moving the said member and spoutsrelatively so as to cause a given point on said area or work piece to beapproached from each of at least four directions in succession by impactareas of fluid ejected from said spouts.

6. A hide treating machine including a member with a supporting area fora spread-out work piece, a group of fluid discharge spouts extendingadjacent and across said area, each spout being permanently directedtoward said area, means for continuously moving the spouts in endlesspaths, and means for moving the spouts and member relatively to causeareas directly affected by jets from said spouts to overlap.

ARTHUR R. ABBOTT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 141,423 Brown Aug. 5, 18731,731,564 DeGraff Oct. 15, 1929 2,354,200 Cutter July 25, 1944 2,355,221Knight Aug. 8, 1944 2,382,089 .Morgenstern Aug. 14, 1945 2,469,636Dempsey May 10, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1371 GreatBritain of 1869

